Love Eternally
by dshell99
Summary: Kevin and Edd have a love as old as time itself.
The Heavens created them on the same day.

One was named _Death._ He wasn't tall, and wasn't built big and strong like so many of the other spirits. But he was feared the most of all. His skin was so pale it seemed to _glow_. His eyes were as blue as summer skies and his smile was as bright as the sun. He kept his dark curly hair hidden away. There was _one_ who could see it, though...

One was named _Life._ He was tall, so tall he that towered over _all_ the spirits. His skin was tanned and littered with freckles. The Heavens said he had one for each of the souls he cared for. He was strength incarnate. He was fast and swift. His voice could _BOOM_ , but his _whispers_ were known for shaking even the Heavens. His hair was the color of the blood that filled the souls that he'd give _Death_ and his eyes as green as grass in Spring.

And when they were introduced, _Life_ recoiled in fear and disgust and _Death_ sighed.

"I will not hurt _you,"_ _Death_ said. "Just what you embody."

It took moment or two for _Life_ understand what _Death_ meant. And when He did, his heart _shattered_ and the Heavens cried.

The Mother of them all, clasped their hands within hers.

"You two will bring balance to the lower planes. But you _must_ work _together,"_

 _"How?!," Life_ asked.

"You are gifts we are giving to mankind. To balance them. To make them appreciate what they have and _cherish it._ Many will never do it when they are with you _Life,_ but when _Death_ comes for them, they will. _Life,_ you will give every man to _Death_ when their time comes"

"And what will _Death_ give to _me?," Life_ asked curiously, but also selfishly.

Mother sighed.

 _"Nothing but time,"_ she replied.

She sent them to their families with mankind to start their service for mankind and the Heavens. _Life_ was given the name Kevin. _Death_ was called Eddward. Kevin preferred to call him _Edd,_ though. Their families lived within walking distance of each other and the two boys grew up together.

But then the age of maturity was upon them. Kevin soon found that some of his friends were keen on sending themselves into _Death's_ good graces as they had not reached the point in their maturity to not do such things.

"Do not take them! They are not ready," he'd _plead_ with Edd as he called him when friend after friend would come _knocking on Death's door_.

"Then who _is,_ Kevin!?," Edd would ask, _staring_ _Life,_ and therefore _Kevin_ down, willing him to defy _Death._

"There are some old ones who have lived their lives. Please take them instead."

Edd would sigh, but he realized that Kevin was right. So the old were taken, but it was _always_ someone who was close to the young who had nearly sent themselves to _Death_.

To Kevin, it was like he was doing mankind a favor and giving them a gift of his own. The old had lived their lives and thus, had the foresight to appreciate what life had done for them. But those that were left behind would _mourn_ as they had not yet begun to appreciate their love one's _life_.

This went on for quite sometime, and Kevin started to notice that for each old soul that he sent to Edd, two new one souls would take the former souls place. Things were getting crowded and Kevin couldn't be everywhere. When he lost his first young life, he was _devastated_.

Edd found him high up on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. He was sitting on the edge, his usual white cloak was dingy, his skin had lost its glow and his bright eyes looked dim.

Edd came and sat next to him, and when the wind knocked the hoods of their cloaks off their heads, they _really_ looked at each other like they did _the first time._ While Kevin as _Life_ had _feared_ Edd as _Death_ for what he could do to himself _and_ mankind, he had to acknowledge there was a beauty about him that not many would _ever truly_ appreciate.

"I can see why they all love you so much," Edd said as he cupped Kevin's strong jaw in his delicate hand.

"Oh?"

"You are _beautiful_."

"I could say the same about you," Kevin said with a grin.

Edd's heart skipped a few beats at the sight of _Life_ , looking up at him with adoring eyes and a smile that Edd wanted to keep with him for forever.

"I'm _Death._ How am _I_ beautiful?," Edd asked snarkly.

Kevin sighed.

"You are _the last one_ that _anyone wants_ to see usually. But so many have looked for you to take them away with joy as what they have done here is complete and they are ready to move on. _That_ , Edd, is truly a _beautiful_ thing."

"I can tell you that the young one I just met today wasn't happy."

"I know," Kevin said as he chocked on a sob and hurriedly wiped the tears that were falling out of his eyes. "I tried, I really did!"

Edd sat quietly as Kevin jumped up and paced around the small, precarious space they were sitting on.

"What am I going to _do?!,"_ Kevin _screamed_ into the Heaven's.

"Live. And try again. I get one and you get two. You _will_ survive this and you _will_ try again," Edd said quietly.

Kevin pulled himself together and closed his eyes and envisioned the whole of mankind around him. Some would go when many felt it was _their time_ , but many more _wouldn't_. He decided then and there to be there when it was _their time,_ whether he liked it or not.

And that's when _Life_ truly started to _live._

He would watch over mankind, working for and helping them however he could, but when the time came, he'd walk the souls to _Death,_ his instructions from the Heaven's for _Death_ to send them to wherever their _soul's work_ had determined they'd spend eternity.

Watching _Life_ work _with_ him instead of _against_ him, drew _Death_ closer and closer to him. It wasn't long until they began to _truly_ understand what Mother had meant when she said that _they_ were to balance out mankind and bring order to the chaos that if left unchecked, would surely reign in the lower planes of the the Heavens.

And as they balanced out mankind, their minds and hearts became _one_. They fell in love and couldn't shake each other, but it broke their hearts. _Life_ could not stay with _Death_ and _Death_ could not _live_ with _Life_. As they were the very antithesis of one other they could _exist together_ , _but not as one._

But _Life_ was always full of surprises and wouldn't give up on the love he felt for _Death_.

Each soul soon became gift wrapped, instructions placed carefully on top as Death preferred and a note on how each soul had lived, loved and lost over the course of their long or short lifetime. And another note would be placed into the soul's hand. _This_ note was a note from _Life_ to _Death_ and it would _always_ read the same way.

 _My love for you is like time. It is for eternity. It will never end._

 _Eternally yours,_

 _Kevin_

And unlike mankind, Edd cherished _Life's gifts_ for _forever._


End file.
